“Transforming Catastrophe into a Catalyst for Change” – MLK Day at UO

On January 22, 205, I had the honor of speaking at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Inaugural Luncheon held at The University of Olivet. My speech was entitled, “Transforming Catastrophe into a Catalyst for Change,” wherein I talked about taking MLK’s radicality seriously, what created his radicality – as a response to systematic racism and episodic racism, and how Dr. King understood Hegel’s philosophy of history: from regress comes great progress, as long as we’re willing to do the work! I was joined on stage by President Steven Corey, Dr. Tonya Bailey (Oakland University), and the motivational speaker, Dr. Eric Thomas. The music was outstanding! We heard musical performances by the Olivet Choir/Choral, Robert Kyle II, MJ and the Band, and the flautist Brandon Marceal. The event was arranged by the amazing Joshua Gillespie (UO) and the Hiram Archer Student Success Academy (HASSA) at UO. It was a powerful event honoring a prophetic brother, Dr. King.